Car-uncoupling device



Aug. 17 1926; 1,596,674

J. VMGMULLEN" CAR uncourmue DEVICE File d Oct. 24. 1921 Fig. 5. I19. 4. 2 I /4 23 5. Fig. .5.

6 6 1 nuayzloz 7 Q i I 7 93, M CQM Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

Q HCE- J hannes-ea R new s arsee-re o ers E erl s- 1 implicationriled October 24, 192;. Serial No. 510,064.

The invention relates to uncoupling-devices for railway cars and has foriits objectsto provide an uncoupling device composed of few parts, which is econom cal to manufacture, durable and accurate in operation. p

" A further object of the invention :is to provide a device of the character described in which any tendency ,of the coupling pin to tilt or swing while being withdrawn from its seat is or may be accommodated by Icompens'atory movement of "the lifting "'lIl. it

lVith such objects in view 'as well as other advantages which maybe incident to the use of the fimprovements51the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the elements consti--.

tuting "the sam may be varied in proportions and arrangement without departing from thenatureand scope ..of the invention ashereinafter claimed.

"In order to makeflthe invention more clearly understood there are shown in the Figure 1 is a side elevation-of the .-un-' coupling device infits preferred form as attached'to the end sillof a car.

Fig. 2 isplan view of the same. Figs. 3 to 11 aredetail, views of the various component parts 'of th invention, further described in detail.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the end sill of a freight car 2 the draw bar provided with the usual draw head 3, and 4 the coupling pin, mounted in the usual manner for vertical reciprocation within the draw head. Suitably secured as by bolts 5 to the. lower flange of th end sill and on the under side thereof is an ear member 6 having a depending U-shaped portion 7 within which is pivotally mounted at 21 intermediate its ends an uncoupling or lifting lever 8, preferably of metal and formed at its inner end with an eye or re cess 9. Suitably secured as by bolts 10 to the end sill near its end and on the under thereof is an ar member ll whicli is athe coupling pin 4:.

pending lugs 12 between which is pivotally mounted .ati a hell .crank or hand operating lever 13 having its upper .arm 1a offset and provided with a guide .Way or slot 15 through .Which the outer end of the'lif ting lever 18.;is adapted to extend. ,It will be observed that the upper arm 14.01? the operatinglever forms .a pedal which by being depressed serves to effect uncoupling operation of the lifting lever8. The pedal portion of the lever, which is preferab y flat, conveniently enables the ,trainman to operate the device while riding upon the car ;by pressing downwardly thereon with his foot' -16,11s .a pin engaging and lifting link pro- .vaded near its rinner end with an offset por- 'tion 17 which insures the pivotal engage-- .ment of its inner end with the eye or recess 9, the lower end of said portion 17 bemg riveted over so it willnot become fill engaged .from said recess 9 of the lever 8,

' thus permitting .the link to swing freely in a horizontal plailewand preventing its tending more than a predeterm ned i tance'through the-recess. u-The link 16' .is furtherprovided with a second .ofi-s RQI' .tion 18 whichgives to the link th lfiQQssary elevation forit to extend: horizontally through and operatively engage {the eye of Theinrler end of the link is upturned as at 1.9 ,to insu 5 1 9 tinued engagement of the link with the coupling pin. 1

'By the above described construction it will beiseen that the pivotal mounting of the link 1,6 insuresizits proper. engagement with ;the coupling when ,the I device .is operated, and any tendency of the pin to tilt while being withdrawn from its seat is immediately compensated for by the swinging of the link in a horizontal plane to accommodate any lateral tilting on the part of the coupling pin and the possibility of the link or coupling pin binding or sticking during the operation of the device is thereby effectually prevented.

The operation of the device is as follows: When it is desired to lift the coupling pin to couple or uncouple cars the operator either may pull outwardly on the bell crank lever 13 which is conveniently located near the side of the car or he may press downwardly on the pedal 14;. The slottedarrn 14: of the bell crank s downwardly in a vertical plane ...th. sill and carries with it the outer end of the pivoted lever 8. The inner end of said le ver swings upwardly, raising the link 16 and lifting the coupling pin 4 from its seat, the link 16 being free to swing horizontally in the recess 9 to accommodate any lateral movement of the pin 4. By releasing the hand lever 13 the pin drops back by gravity into its seat in thedrawhead 3' and the parts are returned to normal position as shown inFig. 1. 1,

hat is claimed is-- s '1. An uncoupling device for railway cars, comprising in combination: an end sill, a draw bar mounted near said end sill:

and having'a draw head and coupling pin, a lifting lever pivotally mounted on said end sill, a pin engaging and lifting link pivotally mounted at one end on said lever and permanently engaging said lever against displacement, and operatively engaging at its other end said coupling pin to lift same, and a hand lever pivotally mounted on said end sill and having a slottedly mounted between'its ends, and a pivoted member adapted to actuate-said lever, said pivoted member having a-handle portion projecting downwardly'from the pivotal'axis of said member and beingprovided with a pedal extending inwardly from the said pivotal axis towards the car coupler, said member being adapted to, be

actuated by pressure applied either to said handle or to said pedal. 0

3. An uncoupling device for railway cars, comprising in combination: an. end sill, a

draw bar near said end sill and having a draw head and coupling pin, a hand operrailway 'endof said liftin ated bell crank'lever pivotally mounted on said end sill and adapted to swing in a vertical plane substantially parallel with said 'end sill, saidbell crank lever having a flattened portion, a depending slotted arm, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said end sill and adapted to swing in a vertical plane substantially par .allel with said end sill and having one end operatively engaged by the slot in said bell crank lever and carrying at its other end an eye portion, and, a link having at one end can offset portion'supported in and opera-rv tively engaged by said eye portion of said lever and at its other end operatively engaging said coupling pin to lift the same.

4. An uncoupling device for railway cars and: the like, comprising in combination with the locking pin of the car coupler; a pivotally mounted lifting lever; a lifting arm mounted on the inner end of ,said lifting lever and. havlng a sliding engagement with the uncoupling pin; a hand operated bell crank lever having one arm fashioned with a pedal and adapted to be operatively connected with theouter end of said lifting lever by a slotted connection and having its other arm normally depending at right angles to said lifting lever.

5. 'An uncoupling device for railway cars and the like, comprising in combination with the locking pin of the car coupler, a pivotally. mounted lifting lever; a lifting arm mounted on the inner end .of said lifting lever andhaving a sliding engage ment with the uncoupling pin, a hand ope-rated bell, crank lever having one arm formed with a pedal extending over and adapted to engage the outer end of said lifting lever and having its other arm depending substantially perpendicularly to the outer lever.

. In testimony w ereof I-have set my hand to the foregoing specification.

JOHN McMULLEN. 

